be one card shy of a (full) deck

To be not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. This expression can appear in many different forms and variations (e.g., "a few sandwiches short of a picnic," "one brick short of a load.," etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be one card shy of a full deck.The new manager is nice enough, but he's one card shy of a deck, if you ask me.

be several cards short of a (full) deck

To be not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. This expression can appear in many different forms and variations (e.g., "a few sandwiches short of a picnic," "one brick short of a load.," etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be several cards short of a deck.The new manager is nice enough, but he's several cards short of a full deck, if you ask me.

several cards short of a (full) deck

A pejorative phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. This expression can appear in many different forms and variations (e.g., "a few sandwiches short of a picnic," "one brick short of a load.," etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be several cards short of a deck.The new manager is nice enough, but he's several cards short of a full deck, if you ask me.

one card shy of a (full) deck

A pejorative phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. This expression can appear in many different forms and variations (e.g., "a few sandwiches short of a picnic," "one brick short of a load.," etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be one card shy of a full deck.The new manager is nice enough, but he's one card shy of a deck, if you ask me.

all hands on deck

1. A call for all members of a ship's crew to come to the deck, usually in a time of crisis. (A "hand" is a member of a ship's crew.) We're under attack! All hands on deck!

2. By extension, everyone available to help with a problem, or a call for those people to help. Your grandmother arrives tomorrow and the house is still a mess—I need all hands on deck to help me clean!All hands on deck! We've got to roll out this tarp before the rain starts. Now let's go!

be one card short of a full deck

To be not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. This expression can appear in many different forms and variations (e.g., "a few sandwiches short of a picnic," "one brick short of a load.," etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be one card short of a full deck.The new manager is nice enough, but he's one card short of a full deck, if you ask me.

be several cards short of a full deck

To be not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. This expression can appear in many different forms and variations (e.g., "a few sandwiches short of a picnic," "one brick short of a load.," etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be several cards short of a full deck.The new manager is nice enough, but he's several cards short of a full deck, if you ask me.

clear the deck(s)

1. Literally, of sailors, to prepare for something (such as a battle) by removing or securing objects on the deck of a ship. That enemy ship is getting too close—clear the deck!

2. By extension, to cease doing something in preparation for a more important task or happening. I know you're busy with that paperwork, but clear the decks—I've got a big client coming in this afternoon.

3. To flee hastily; to depart quickly Uh oh, here comes mean old Mr. Jerome. Clear the decks, everyone!The staff cleared the decks when they saw the boss asking for volunteers to work on the weekend.

stack the deck (against) (someone or something)

To make arrangements that result in an unfair advantage over someone or something. (Likened to fixing a deck of playing cards in one's favor during a game.) By dating the boss's daughter, Jeremy has stacked the deck against the rest of us for an early promotion.The mega corporation has been accused of trying to stack the deck by spending millions to influence members of congress.

deck out

1. To dress in an especially extravagant manner. A noun or pronoun can be used between "deck" and "out." Wow, you sure got decked out for the party tonight! Maybe I should have worn something nicer than jeans.

2. To decorate something lavishly or elaborately. A noun or pronoun can be used between "deck" and "out." Wow, you really decked out the house for the party tonight—I've never seen so many Christmas lights in my life!

be not playing with a full deck

1. To not be mentally sound; to be crazy or mentally deranged. A: "Look at that guy talking to himself on the corner." B: "I reckon he's not playing with a full deck."

2. To not be very bright or intelligent; to be dimwitted. Jim's a nice guy, but with some of the foolish things he does, I wonder if he's not playing with a full deck.

3. To be acting deceptively (as if one is playing with a deck of cards after having removed some of the cards from the deck). I doubt that Brian's playing with a full deck—how could he win so much money without cheating?

deck someone or something out (in something)

and deck someone or something out (with something)

to decorate someone or something with something. Sally decked all her children out for the holiday party.She decked out her children in Halloween costumes.Tom decked the room out with garlands of flowers.

few bricks short of a load

and few cards shy of a full deck; few cards short of a deck; not playing with a full deck; two bricks shy of a load

Fig. lacking in intellectual ability. (Many other variants.) Tom: Joe thinks he can build a car out of old milk jugs. Mary: I think Joe's a few bricks short of a load.Ever since she fell and hit her head, Jane's been a few bricks short of a load, if you know what I'm saying.Bob's nice, but he's not playing with a full deck.You twit! You're two bricks shy of a load.

have the cards stacked against (one)

and have the deck stacked against one

Fig. to have one's chance at future success limited by factors over which one has no control; to have luck against one. You can't get very far in life if you have the deck stacked against you.I can't seem to get ahead. I always have the cards stacked against me.

play with a full deck

1.Lit. to play cards with a complete deck, containing all the cards. Are we playing with a full deck or did some card drop on the floor? I haven't seen the three of hearts all evening!

2.Fig.to operate as if one were mentally sound. (Usually in the negative. One cannot play cards properly with a partial deck.)That guy's not playing with a full deck.Look sharp, you dummies! Pretend you are playing with a full deck.

stack the deck (against someone or something)

and stack the cards (against someone or something)

to arrange things against someone or something. (Originally from card playing; stacking the deck is to cheat by arranging the cards to be dealt out to one's advantage.) I can't get ahead at my office. Someone has stacked the cards against me. Do you really think that someone has stacked the deck? Isn't it just fate?

cards are stacked against

Many difficulties face someone or something, as in The cards are stacked against the new highway project. This term originated in gambling, where to stack the cards or stack the deck means to arrange cards secretly and dishonestly in one's own favor or against one's opponent. [Mid-1800s]

clear the decks

Prepare for action, as in I've finished all these memos and cleared the decks for your project, or Clear the decks-here comes the coach. This expression originated in naval warfare, when it described preparing for battle by removing or fastening down all loose objects on the ship's decks. [Second half of 1800s]

deck out

hit the deck

Also, hit the dirt. Fall to the ground, usually for protection. For example, As the planes approached, we hit the deck, or We heard shooting and hit the dirt. In the early 1900s the first expression was nautical slang for "jump out of bed," or "wake up," and somewhat later, "get going." The current meaning dates from the 1920s.

on deck

1. Available, ready for action, as in We had ten kids on deck to clean up after the dance. [Slang; second half of 1800s]

2. In baseball, scheduled to bat next, waiting near home plate to bat, as in Joe was on deck next. [1860s] Both usages allude to crew members being on the deck of a ship, in readiness to perform their duties.

be not playing with a full deck

mainly AMERICAN

If someone is not playing with a full deck, they are not being completely honest and therefore have an unfair advantage over other people. This guy is either very good or he's not playing with a full deck. Note: A deck of cards can have cards taken out before a game in order to give one player an advantage.

hit the deck

If someone or something hits the deck, they suddenly fall to the ground. `We'll have to get a doctor!' I hit the deck yowling. My hands were wrapped round my knees.Instead of pulling up, the plane seemed to go faster and faster before it hit the deck. Note: `Deck' normally means the floor of a ship or, in American English, a raised platform outside a house. Here it means the floor or ground.

stack the deck

or

load the deck

mainly AMERICAN

If you stack the deck or load the deck, you give someone or something an unfair advantage or disadvantage. Mr Howard is doing all he can to stack the deck in favour of the status quo.We've developed a culture where it's really hard to eat well and exercise. We're kind of stacking the deck against ourselves.As you can see, I'm loading the deck so that we get the results we want. Note: A stacked or loaded deck of cards is one that has been altered before a game in order to give one player an advantage.

clear the decks

mainly BRITISH or

clear the deck

AMERICAN

COMMON If someone clears the decks, they finish what they are doing so that they are ready to start doing something else. The British commanders had wanted to clear the decks for possible large-scale military operations.Clear the decks before you think of taking on any more responsibilities. Note: In the past, all unnecessary objects were cleared off the decks or floors of a warship before a battle, so that the crew could move around more easily.

all hands on deck

mainly BRITISH

If a situation requires all hands on deck, it needs everyone to work hard to achieve an aim or do a task. Come on then, boys, all hands on deck tonight, we need all the help we can get.Your job was so big that we needed all hands on deck. Note: Members of a ship's crew are sometimes called hands and `deck' refers to the floor of a ship.

on deck

clear the ˈdeck(s)

get ready for some activity by first dealing with anything not essential to it: We had been doing some painting in the dining room, so we had to spend some time clearing the decks before our visitors came round in the evening.

all ˌhands on ˈdeck

(also all ˌhands to the ˈpump) (saying, humorous) everyone helps or must help, especially in an emergency: There are 10 staff off sick this week, so it’s all hands on deck. ♢ When the kitchen staff became ill, it was all hands to the pump and even the manager did some cooking.

hit the ˈdeck

(informal) 1 fall to the ground suddenly: When we heard the shooting we hit the deck. ♢ The champion landed another heavy punch and the challenger hit the deck for the third time.2 (American English) get out of bed: Come on! It’s time to hit the deck.

stack the deck

tv. to arrange things secretly for a desired outcome. (From card playing where a cheater may arrange the order of the cards that are to be dealt to the players.) The president stacked the deck so I would be appointed head of the finance committee.

Then I sprang toward the edge of the deck closest to the girl upon the sinking tug.

A single glance at the vessel's deck assured me that the battle was over and that we had been victorious, for I saw our survivors holding a handful of the enemy at pistol points while one by one the rest of the crew was coming out of the craft's interior and lining up on deck with the other prisoners.

And, halfway to the crosstrees and flattened against the rigging by the full force of the wind so that it would have been impossible for me to have fallen, the Ghost almost on her beam-ends and the masts parallel with the water, I looked, not down, but at almost right angles from the perpendicular, to the deck of the Ghost.

Those who were able to walk remained all the time on duty, lying about in the shadows of the main deck, till my voice raised for an order would bring them to their enfeebled feet, a tottering little group, mov- ing patently about the ship, with hardly a mur- mur, a whisper amongst them all.

my first thought was that something had carried away aloft; but even as I went down, and before I struck the deck, I heard the devil's own tattoo of rifles from the boats, and twisting sidewise, I caught a glimpse of the sailor who was standing guard.

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